| abeyance |
temporary suspension or cessation. |
| advert |
to direct the attention by comment or remark. |
| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| comity |
mutual courtesy and respectful treatment among people or nations. |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| deign |
to consider some act to be appropriate or in keeping with one's dignity; condescend. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| disquisition |
a formal, often lengthy, oral or written discussion of a subject. |
| divergence |
the act of separating and moving or leading in different directions. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| malfeasance |
an illegal act or wrongdoing, especially by a public official. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |